The “Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Entrusting States (STATES) Act” doesn’t really sound like a step towards marijuana legalization, but it is. This federal legislation now under consideration, aims to amend the Controlled Substances Act to make marijuana activity legal if it is following local state laws.

President Trump has said recently that he would support a bill that leaves cannabis legalization to the states. That is because Colorado Senator Cory Gardner, a Republican, said he would block Department of Justice appointments until the threat of federal prosecution no longer hung over the legal state-sanctioned cannabis industry. The two seemed to come to an agreement in April to solve this impasse after Gardner had held up about 20 Justice nominees.

The administration gives mixed messages on cannabis legalization. On the campaign trail, Trump said he approved of medical marijuana. In January, Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era Cole Memorandum which protected companies and organizations operating under state cannabis laws, from federal prosecution. That sent a chill through the industry. Sessions remains an anti-legalization hard liner. Recreational cannabis has been allowed in Colorado since 2014.

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Saphira Galoob a lobbyist who works on cannabis issues for The Liaison Group in Washington D.C. believes the STATES bill is a significant step towards the end of federal cannabis prohibition, no matter its ultimate fate. That's because this is first bill with language that is “sufficiently broad to be both powerful in its impact, yet realistic in the political support it can garner,” she said.

The States Act removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act for those states that have cannabis programs, letting each state dictate what is permitted and what is not. “Iowa can be Iowa. California can be California and Oregon and can be Oregon,” said Galoob.

Most significantly, the bill opens up banking to legal cannabis companies, so the billion dollar industry no longer has to operate and pay taxes in cash.

The bill restricts employment to workers over 18; and prohibits distribution or sales to anyone under 21 except for medical purposes. Sales of marijuana at transportation facilities such as rest areas and truck stops is prohibited.

The bill also removes industrial hemp (which contains less than 1% the psychoactive ingredient THC) from the legal definition of marijuana. Hemp can be used to make textiles, paper and rope.

The States Act also has momentum because it was introduced in both the House and Senate with parity language. Senators Gardner and Warren are leading the Senate effort. Representatives Joyce and Blumenauer are taking leadership on the House side.

Public acceptance of cannabis legalization continues to grow. More than 60% of the U.S. population now live in states that have legalized some form of marijuana use and sales, reports Marijuana Business Daily.

“The proposed legislation still has to go through procedural hoops in the committee process before either bill gets to the floor,” said Galoob, so this bill needs the support of committee chairs to come before Congress.